Preformed welt for boot and shoe construction



Sept. 14, 1943. w,- wRlGHT 2,329,314

PREFORMED WELT FOR BOOT AND SHOE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 18, 1941 Patented Sept. 14, 1943 PREFORMED WELT FOR. BOOT CON STBUCTION NT OFFICE C AND SHOE Wallace 0. Wright, Brookfield, N. n.

- Application January 18, 1941, Serial No. 374,994

' 1 Claim. (01. 36-78) My present invention is a novel and improved pro-formed welt forv usev in the manufacture of boots and shoes, employing a welt in the construction of the same.

The presentapplication is a continuation'in part of my prior and. copending application 357,293; filed September 18, 1940, on Shoe, welt therefor, and process of making," wherein I have illustrated, described, and claimed the advantages incident to a .welt made of synthetic or plastic material, wherein a pro-curved or preformed welt structure, both widthwise and lengthwise, or both, is advantageously produced.

My present invention is directed to the preforming or pre-curving widthwise of a welt formed of leather, laminated strips of leather, canvas, or .the like material, as distinguished from synthetic plastic material. I have discovered that it feasible to thus pre-form welt strips for better. vinseaming.and outseaming, and that this advantage in my pre-formed welt structure is equally .suitable forzstandard shoe method of construction, wherein the upper materials are lasted over the insole and then the welt attached to the insole and upper, or to pre-welt" methods, wherein the welt is first attached to the upper and then lasted.

An important advantage and feature of this pre-forming construction, particularly in the preforming widthwise of the welt material, is that the outer edge portion of the welt and the adjacent part of the outsole will normally tend to be tightly united in contact, particularly during the outsole-attaching operations and wherein the outsole is cemented to the shoe bottom prior to the outsole stitching.

Thus, instead of the welt normally tending to be forced upward and away from the outsole, by means of my pre-forming widthwise processes the outer edge of the welt is normally tending to hub the adjacent edge of the outsole entirely around the margin of the shoe. This is particularly important and advantageous at the shank and toe portions of a-shoe. While it is also feasible to pro-form such a welt lengthwise as well as widthwise, giving a natural spring" or curve for better fitting around the toe, the more important pre-forming is the widthwise curvature, which can be put in at any angle, arc, or bend desired for the particular type of shoe to which my preformed welt is to be applied.

I also have devised a novel method of so preforming such a welt, which consists preferably in first tempering the welt and then forcing it continuously thru forming rolls, wheels, or dies,

which will give the desired lengthwise contour to thewelt. I

Referring to the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of my'improved welt of a typical widthwise preformed contour;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the-same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional "view illustrating the process of welt attaching during the inseaming;

Fig. 4 is a similar cross-sectional fragmentary view illustrating the attachment of the outsole;

Fig. 5 illustrates a pre-welt attaching method, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view partly in crosssection showing the pre-forming process.-

As shown in the drawing, my pre-formed welt consists first of a welt strip of suitable width, thickness, and length for use as a. welt, wherein the same has been pre-curved or pre-formed widthwise, producing an outsole-attaching por tion I, an inseam attaching portion 2 at an angle therewith, joined by an intermediate curved or bent section. 3, and wherein a stitch-receiving groove 4 is cut. This structure enables the por tion 2 to be more snugly, evenly, and smoothly fitted to the curved contour of the shoe upper during the inseam sewing operation.

Furthermore, by my pre-forming construction, the stitch-receiving groove 4 normally tends to enclose the inseam stitching 5 when the same is applied. I contemplate the utilization of a simple plow, or the like, to open the stitch-receiving groove 4 during the inseaming operation, in which case the portion I of the welt would be raised substantially as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, whereupon the welt will normally spring back into its pro-formed contour ready for attachment of the outer edge portion I to the outsole, after the usual trimming operation.

.I have illustrated this process in Fig. 3, wherein a shoe last ID has the insole ll applied to the last bottom with a sewing rib I 2 to which the upper materials 13 and II are lasted and secured by the inseam stitching 5. During this inseaming operation, it will be appreciated that my preformed welt with-the curved portion 3 fitting snugly in under the overhanging part of the insole, last, and upper materials, particularly around the shank and forepar't, will enable the inseam stitching 5 to be more easily and snugly applied and give a tighter fitting of the shoe at this point.

After the rib l2, projecting marginal portions II and ll 6! the upper materials, and a part or the welt' [are trimmed approximately along the dotted line II, Fig. 3, the tiller l6 applied, and the outsole 2| secured by. outseam stitching It, a better flttingoi my pre-formed welt will be readily appreciated.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated my pre-curved or preformed welt structure as being first attached to the upper materials by straight line stitching 22, whereupon the welt is then used by lasting devices to work over the marginal portion of the upper onto the insole, giving an equally beneficial welt shoe construction.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated diagrammatically a simple method of pre-Iorming widthwise the welt strip. For this purpose, a suitable pair of forming rolls I0 and II, mounted on rotatable axles l2 and 33 respectively and rotated from any suitable source of power, are fitted to interlock and conform the welt strip therebetween.

I have illustrated in Fig. 6 both the welt and these rolls of enlarged size. The welt strip being 01 suitable temper with the groove 4 formed therein, and the welt in long flat strips, the welt is fed thru the forming rolls II and II under suitable pressure and with heat, 1! desired, to more quickly and readily "set" the curved or pre-formed contour imparted to the welt by the rolls.

I have shown in the roll 30 an internal recess 35 in one of the flanges 36 in which the corresponding curved edge 3 of the welt is conformed, the other flange 31 of the roll 30 cooperating with the corresponding edge oi! the lower roll 3| to hold the portion l of the welt in desired position relatively with the other edge portion 2, substantially as shown.

nently set to substantially the widthwise contour imparted to it by the forming rolls. Ii desired, these rolls can over-bend"'the portion somewhat, allowing for a slight rebound oi the strip.

Also I may, if desired, treat the welt strip with a solution, binder, or the like which will still further tend to hold the welt in the preformed and curved condition imparted to it by the rolls or equivalent devices. I

The widthwise curve showing in the drawing is, oi course, illustrative only and any desired contour can be secured, and other devices utilized than the rolls.

My pre-iormed welt gives not only a better and snugger iltting oi the stitch-receiving edge portion oi the welt, enabling this-portion to iit snugly in underneath the overhanging insole feather, but also eliminates largely or entirely the necessity of the iormer welt-beating operation, since my pre-formed welt normally tends to spring horizontally and thus to contact firmly with the margin of the attached outsole.

I claim:

As a new article oi! manufacture, a permanently pre-iormed welt for use in the manufacture oi'welt boots and shoes, said welt having in corporated therein-a binding element aiding in maintaining it in said predormed condition; saidwelt having a longitudinal stitch-receiving groove cut therein and being bent in a pre-formed angular position about the base of said groove, said angle being greater in extent than the normal angle to which the welt is bent in the completed shoe, said bend normally acting to substantially close the open edges of said stitch-retaining groove and automatically closing after the inseaming stitching is applied in said groove, thereby protecting and enclosing said stitching, and the longitudinal welt bend normally forcing the outer welt edge against the outer edge of the outsole to be permanently united thereto.

WALLACE C. WRIGHT. 

